What is Jan Lokpal Bill, Why is it Important?

The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year.




Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and former Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), the draft Bill envisages a system where a corrupt person found guilty would go to jail within two years of the complaint being made and his ill-gotten wealth being confiscated. It also seeks power to the Jan Lokpal to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission.



Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi and other known people like Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Anna Hazare and Mallika Sarabhai are also part of the movement, called India Against Corruption. Its website describes the movement as "an expression of collective anger of people of India against corruption. We have all come together to force/request/persuade/pressurize the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this Bill were enacted it would create an effective deterrence against corruption."







Anna Hazare, anti-corruption crusader, went on a fast-unto-death in April, demanding that this Bill, drafted by the civil society, be adopted. Four days into his fast, the government agreed to set up a joint committee with an equal number of members from the government and civil society side to draft the Lokpal Bill together. The two sides met several times but could not agree on fundamental elements like including the PM under the purview of the Lokpal. Eventually, both sides drafted their own version of the Bill.



The government has introduced its version in Parliament in this session. Team Anna is up in arms and calls the government version the "Joke Pal Bill." Anna Hazare declared that he would begin another fast in Delhi on August 16. Hours before he was to begin his hunger strike, the Delhi Police detained and later arrested him. There are widespread protests all over the country against his arrest.



The website of the India Against Corruption movement calls the Lokpal Bill of the government an "eyewash" and has on it a critique of that government Bill.



A look at the salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill:



1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up



2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.



3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.



4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.



5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.



6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.



7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.



8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.



9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.



10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.

jan lokpal

Shame on the govt n sum political parties. They hav something on their lips n some thing else going on in their mind. Team anna shd not go 4 talks, they shd make the govt 2 cum to ramléèla ground so that they will know the grnd realities. 2crore miss call in support of anti corruption n the govt still thinks it is just anna hazare who is against the govt. WAKE UP STUPID SINGH, u hav allready done enough damage to the country. Wit ur stupidity u wil bury CONGRESS 4ever.

In 1982, In Singapore, LOKPAL BILL was implemented and 142 Corrupt Ministers & Officers were arrested in one single day.. Today Singapore has only 1% poor people & no taxes are paid by the people to the government, 92% Literacy Rate, Better Medical Facilities, Cheaper Prices, 90% Money is white & Only 1% Unemployment exists... HELL YEAHH I WANT INDIA BETTER .. Re Post this if you want to live in a corruption free country..!!

letter from manmohan singh to anna hazare

August 23, 2011

 

New Delhi

 

Letter from PM

The Prime Minister has written to Shri Anna Hazare on the Lokpal issue.

 

The text of the letter is as follows:

 

"Over the last few days, I have watched with increasing concern the state of your health. Despite thedifferences between the Government and your team, I do not think that anybody is or should be in anydoubt about the deep and abiding concern which I and our Government share about your health, arisingfrom your continuing fast. I have no hesitation in saying that we need your views and actions in theservice of the nation, from a robust physical condition and not in the context of frail or failing health.I have maintained that your and our object is identical viz. to reduce significantly, if not eliminate, thescourge of corruption from this country. At worst, our paths and methodologies may differ, though I dobelieve that even those differences have been exaggerated. The Government is committed to passing aconstitutionally valid and the best possible Lok Pal legislation with inputs from Civil Society with thebroadest possible consensus. We are ready to talk to anybody. However, we will have to keep in mindParliamentary supremacy and constitutional obligations in matters of legislation. As a Government werespect and are responsible to the Will of the Indian People as represented by Parliament.

 

As you are aware, the Lok Pal bill is now before a Standing Committee of Parliament. I have made itclear earlier and would like to restate that all options are open before the Standing Committee.Undoubtedly, they would be entitled to consider, in detail and clause by clause, subject to theirdiscretion, not only the Bill introduced by us but the Jan Lokpal Bill and other versions like thoseprepared by Ms. Aruna Roy. Equally, I do maintain that they are fully entitled to make any changes tothe Bill introduced by the Govt. and referred to them. In that view of the matter, the formal nonintroduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill version by the government is irrelevant and would largely boil down toa semantic debate.

 

Nevertheless, in view of the concern repeatedly expressed by your team that the Jan Lokpal Bill versionshould be before Parliament, but more particularly and more importantly, in view of my deep andabiding concern for your health, our government is prepared to request the Speaker, Lok Sabha toformally refer the Jan Lokpal Bill also to the Standing Committee for their holistic considerationalongwith everything else. Furthermore, if you have any anxieties about time and speed, theGovernment can formally request the Standing Committee to try, subject to its discretion and thenecessity to reflect deeply and spend adequate time on an important Bill, and fast track theirdeliberations to the extent reasonably feasible.

 

I would like to say that this letter and each suggestion herein is actuated solely by the twinconsiderations of deep and genuine concern about your health and the emergence of a strong andeffective Lok Pal Act in accordance with established constitutional precept and practice.

 

I do hope that you will consider my suggestions and end your fast to regain full health and vitality."

to know if u have been caught unaware by the police

H yderabad police website address is http://www.htp.gov.in/. On the page u will find e-challan status  and campaigns. also u will find about us / contact us / like us / ur traffic ps / wrong challan / services / statistics / road sense / road smart / road rules / photo gallery / press release / alternate routes and Happenings.

to know if u have been challaned u have to click e-challan status and then type ur vehicle no.

have surfing

sri sri at freedom park

sri sri at freedom park

plight of Hindus in pakistan

In March, Poonam, a 13-year-old Hindu girl kidnapped last year, was forced to convert in the Lyari area of Karachi in Pakistan's Sindh province. Her parents were stunned by the influence the maulvis (Islamic scholars) had over their daughter. "She was very scared. She told us that she was now going to live with them as a Muslim," Poonam's uncle, Bhanwroo, 61, told India Today. Poonam is now Mariam.
No one protested against Poonam's conversion because almost every Hindu family in Lyari has endured religious persecution for years. Kidnapping is routine in Pakistan. But what has shaken the 2.7 million-strong Hindu community in a nation of 168 million Muslims are recent forced conversions of young girls. Many see the incidents as a conspiracy to drive Hindus out of Pakistan.
"We are very worried. We have started sending our young children either to India or to other countries. We are also planning to migrate soon," says 46-year-old Sanao Menghwar from Nawab Shah in Sindh province. He has reason to panic. Research done by local agencies says that on average 25 Hindu girls are kidnapped and converted every month in Pakistan.

Hindus comprised nearly 15 per cent of the country's population in 1947. Now, they are a mere 2 per cent. Many have left, many more have been killed, and others have converted to survive. Hindus are allowed to vote only in separate electorates and are not allowed to register marriages. Of the 428 temples in the country, only 26 are functioning, says Jagmohan Kumar Arora, 60, community head in Rawalpindi. To make matters worse, the Shamshan Ghat in Rawalpindi, used by Hindus and Sikhs to perform last rites, was demolished on July 19, 2010. "How would the Muslims feel if their mosques were demolished to build homes," asks Arora. 


Following the riots after Babri Masjid's demolition in India, attacks on Hindus have only increased; Hindus in Pakistan are routinely affected by communal incidents in India and violent developments in Kashmir. A 2005 report by the National Commission for Justice and Peace, a non-profit organisation in Pakistan, found that Pakistan Studies textbooks have been used to inculcate hatred towards Hindus. "Vituperative animosities legitimise military and autocratic rule, nurturing a siege mentality. Pakistan Studies textbooks are an active site to represent India as a hostile neighbour," the report stated. "The story of Pakistan's past is intentionally written to be distinct from, and often in direct contrast with, interpretations of history found in India. From these government-issued textbooks, students are taught that Hindus are backward and superstitious," the report stated.
Pervez Hoodbhoy, 61, a prominent Pakistani scholar, says the "Islamisation" of Pakistan's schools began in 1976 when an Act of Parliament required all government and private schools (except those teaching the British O-levels from Grade 9) to follow a curriculum for the Grade 5 social studies class that includes topics such as: "Acknowledge and identify forces that may be working against Pakistan", "Make speeches on jihad" and "India's evil designs against Pakistan".
"In Karachi alone, Hindu girls are kidnapped on a routine basis," Amarnath Motumal, an activist and council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told India Today. "People are scared. The kidnappings and conversions are done by influential people of the region. The victims prefer to remain silent to save their lives."
Agrees Bherulal Balani, a former member of the provincial assembly. He says Hindu girls mostly belong to the lower castes. Officials say the attacks have increased in interior Sindh during the last three months. At least nine incidents, ranging from forced conversions to rape and murder, have been reported from the region.
In one incident, a 17-year-old girl was gangraped in Nagarparker area while in another incident, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from Aaklee village and forced to convert. The Aaklee incident prompted an instant migration of about 71 Hindu families to Rajasthan. Members of the Hindu community in Kotri town in Sindh province recently protested against the kidnapping of four teenagers, Anita, Kishni, Ajay and Sagar.
The plight of Hindus in Pakistan came to light in January this year when Lakki Chand Garji, 82, a Hindu spiritual leader and an official of the Kala Mata temple in Kalat district of Baluchistan province, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from his home. He was released in April after a ransom of Rs 50 crore was paid, but the case remains unresolved till date.

Alarmed by the discrimination against the Hindu community, Pakistani lawmaker Marvi Memon, 43, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), has criticised what she calls a total failure of the government. Memon, the only lawmaker to protest against the discrimination, says, "The tragedy is that as a result of these kidnappings, many Hindu families have migrated to India. After all, it is better to live in another country than in perpetual fear in Pakistan. It has become routine for Hindus to be humiliated at the hands of the influential Muslim community in Pakistan." She recalls an incident of several members of the Hindu community being attacked and forced out of their homes in Sindh after Dinesh, a Hindu boy, drank water from a facility meant for Muslims. "He was beaten up badly," says Meerumal, Dinesh's father, who witnessed the attack.
Years of keeping a low profile have affected the sense of identity of the Hindus. "They have become a people without a true identity," says Memon, adding "if there is no awareness and concern for the Hindus of Pakistan, they will remain a voiceless people and eventually cease to exist."
In Peshawar, 62-year-old Jagdish Bhatti's long stint in the army was no insurance against discrimination. His sons Ramesh and Lal had to adopt Muslim names for jobs. Ramesh (now Ahmed Chohan) works in a private multinational bank and Lal (Nadeem Chohan) is a supervisor in a food warehouse owned by the municipal authority in Peshawar district.
"Throughout our educational career, we enjoyed a good relationship with our Muslim teachers and classmates. However, we were shocked when we were told to adopt Muslim names to get jobs," Ramesh Bhatti told india today.
Members of the Hindu community in Larkana in Sindh province recall the tragic tale of Sundri, an 18-year-old college student. One day in 2004, Sundri did not come back home after classes. After a long search, her family went to the police. Two weeks later, the police informed the family that Sundri had eloped with Kamal Khan, an employee of a local transport company, and converted to Islam. Sundri's parents were also informed that their daughter would soon appear in court to declare her new faith. Escorted by the police and a few men sporting long beards, Sundri appeared in court to state: "I, Sundri, was born of Hindu parents. Now, as an adult, I have realised the religion I was born into is not the right one. Therefore, completely of my own accord, and without being coerced, I have decided to break away from my parents and religion, and have converted to Islam."
The judge accepted her conversion and Sundri was whisked away to an unknown location. She is learnt to have later married Khan but was divorced very soon. Subsequently, she married another Muslim from the neighbourhood. This marriage, too, ended in divorce and Sundri was married for the third time. Shortly after her third marriage, Sundri died under mysterious circumstances. Her parents believe she was murdered, while her third husband told the police that she had committed suicide. "Kidnapping Hindu girls like this has become routine. The girls are then forced to sign papers stating that they have become Muslims," says Laljee Menghwar, a member of the Hindu panchayat in Karachi.
Last year, 27-year-old Jagdesh Kumar, a factory worker, was killed in Karachi by Muslim colleagues on the charge of blasphemy. The police and factory management made no attempt to stop the attackers from killing Kumar, who was reportedly in love with a Muslim girl.
In September 2010, Ashok Kumar, 32, an income tax inspector in Hyderabad in Sindh , went to collect tax return forms from shopowners. Instead of complying, one of the shopkeepers alleged that Kumar had threatened to grab him by his beard. Within minutes, the shopkeepers took out a procession, demanding that Kumar be taught a lesson. This was followed by a two-day strike. Kumar was not only suspended from his job, he was also jailed after a case of "blasphemy" was registered against him. "Since then he and his family are missing," says a source.
In the same month, Dr Kanhaiya Lal, 52, an eye specialist, was kidnapped in Larkana. He was released following a ransom payment of Rs 5 lakh. Another Hindu, Darshan Lal, 50, was killed in Badah town in Larkana district when he resisted attempts to abduct him. At least 23 prominent Hindu men have been kidnapped from Sukkur in the past few years.
Police officials told India Today on condition of anonymity that many Hindus pay regular bhatta (protection money) to different groups of extortionists. Hindus in Pakistan contend that their insecurity is compounded by the apathy of the administration and the judiciary.
"From the first Indo-Pak war to the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Hindus in Pakistan have been perceived as enemies and persecuted," says an Islamabad-based political analyst, requesting anonymity. He cites the recent incident of a Hindu businessman's spat with a local editor after the former refused the editor's demand for a car. The daily carried an editorial the next day, dubbing the businessman an Indian agent supplying arms to terrorists. Says a Hindu businessman in Kandhkot city of Sindh: "For 50 years, we have been addressed as 'vaaniyo' or 'baniya', which in these parts is a pejorative." Calling for an end to institutionalised discrimination, the Scheduled Caste Rights Movement of Pakistan (SCRM) has demanded passage of a law allowing Hindu marriage registration. A Pakistan Supreme Court ruling of November 23, 2010, ordered the government to prepare a law to legalise Hindu marriages. The scrm warned that inaction would force them to launch a nationwide signature campaign to highlight the issue.
Hindu women have routinely complained of discrimination regarding Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC). "If we cannot produce marriage registration certificates, we are not entitled to get a CNIC which, in turn, denies us the right to vote. Despite the Supreme Court's ruling in our favour, no measures have been taken," says Sangeeta Devi, 45, from Karachi. She has been at the forefront of the campaign demanding registration of Hindu marriages.
Says Shami Mai, 34, a Hindu woman who lives in Rahim Yar Khan in south Punjab: "In case of separation or domestic violence, a Hindu woman cannot complain because she does not have any document. If she is unable to tell the court who her husband is, why would the court react to her crisis?"
Something as basic as travel can pose problems for Hindu women. "If we stay at a hotel, policemen and hotel staff mistreat us. We end up spending nights on footpaths," complains Naina Bai, 37, from Islamabad.
If the hallmark of a nation is how it treats its minorities, perhaps Pakistan's title as a failed state is well deserved.

black money of indians in swiss banks

The pic, which we found on i.imgur.com, says: Indians have the largest amount of black money in Swiss Banks. Rudolf Elmer provides the list of famous Indians to Wikileaks. He also revealed that black money was started depositing in Swiss Banks in early 70s by some of the names of India through illegal mining, stock market, drug dealing, fake projects etc.

According to the pic: Though Wikileaks has finally released few names, but it has threatened that if Indian government doesn’t start taking action, they would reveal all the names of big and powerful politicians. See this pic carefully:

HAPPINESS COMES FROM GIVING

nice story copied from someone....:-)
 
 
A rich lady went to visit a counsellor to seek out happiness. The counsellor instead of counselling her directly, called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors. The counsellor then said to the rich lady "I'm going to ask Mary here  to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen to her."
 
So the old cleaning woman  put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story: "Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later  my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody.. I had nothing left. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life.
 
Then one evening a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got it some milk and the kitten licked the plate clean.
 
Then it purred and rubbed against my leg and for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I stopped to think, if helping a little kitten could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy. So the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbour who was sick in bed.
 
Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy. Today, I don't know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I've found happiness, by giving it to others."
 
When she heard that, the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money cannot buy. 

“WHY GOVERNMENT'S LOKPAL IS DANGEROUS???”

Government's Lokpal is targeted against those who raise their voice against corruption rather than to punish the corrupt!

The government's Lokpal bill covers only about 0.5% of public servants, yet it brings under its ambit virtually every citizen's group and organization, registered or unregistered, meant to serve the social sector. This raises a pertinent question -- whom is the Lokpal really targeted at? There are more than 1.25 crore central and state government employees. Out of this merely 65,000 Group A Central Government employees would be covered in the government bill leaving out all the lower officers and staff. This effectively means that there is no remedy against corruption that a common person faces daily in police, roads, industry, licensing, transport, roadways, municipality, rations, health services, education, pension, provident funds, Panchayat, forest department, irrigation department, etc. On the other hand, Lokpal would have jurisdiction over ALL NGOs, trusts, societies like Resident Welfare Associations(RWAs), big or small, whether registered or unregistered, whether they receive government funding or not, up to the village level! For instance, consider a group of citizens that unearths corruption of the Sarpanch and Block Development officer (BDO) in a village. The government's Lokpal can't take any action against the Sarpanch or BDO but it CAN lock up the group of HONEST active CITIZENS. Each and every association, like Resident Welfare Associations, Market Associations, even your neighborhood committees that organize festivals like Durga Puja, Ramlila, etc. would be under the purview of Lokpal. While there is no disagreement that the rot of corruption is also afflicting many societies, associations and NGOs, there already exists a plethora of laws like the Trust Act, Societies Act, FCRA, etc. to monitor them. Lokpal was originally intended for checking corruption in public servants. Regardless, if it is being extended to all associations of civil society, then why shouldn't it also cover all companies, businesses, political parties, and media houses?

Government's Lokpal Provides Greater Protection to Corrupt!

Provisions in the government's Lokpal Bill heavily favour corrupt public servants. Under this bill, a public servant accused of corruption is allowed to turn around and file a lawsuit against the complainant accusing him of filing a frivolous complaint. The government will provide a free advocate to the accused to help prove the citizen was wrong, while the citizen has to fend for himself. If the complaint proves to be frivolous, the minimum sentence FOR THE CITIZEN is TWO YEARS. But if the corruption charges are proved, the minimum sentence for the public servant is just SIX MONTHS!
Will then any citizen dare raise a voice against corruption?

Anna Hazares message to the Nation for 15th and 16th August.

My Dear Fellow Indians,
A decisive battle against corruption has begun. We are not against any political party. We want systemic reforms. We want a corruption-free India. After all, what are the people asking for – a strong anti-corruption law which provides for honest and time-bound investigations and trials that result in jail for the guilty, confiscation of embezzled money and their dismissal from service? Are we asking too much? For two months, we were talking to the government. Government seems unwilling to take even small steps against corruption. Government appears insincere. We have met all prominent political leaders. We have tried everything. What do we do now? When I announced my indefinite fast from 16th August, the government threatened that they would crush us the way they crushed Baba Ramdev's peaceful agitation. Friends, this is a historic opportunity. We can't afford to lose it. We are determined to fight to the end. If they arrest us, we will peacefully offer ourselves. If they use batons and bullets, we will happily lay down our lives but will not leave the place. We will not retaliate. It will be a completely non-violent movement. “If you fast on 16th August, you will be crushed” – this is what they are saying. “We will impose section 144 on Jantar Mantar” – this is what they are thinking. But I say that if every citizen in this country takes off from his work from 16th August, comes on the streets in front of his house, at the crossing, with a tricolor in his hands shouting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and raising slogans against corruption, they will fall short of batons and bullets. The government may arrest one Anna Hazare but how will they arrest 120 crore Anna Hazares? They may impose section 144 at one Jantar Mantar but will they impose section 144 on the whole country? And let me tell you – the police and army is with us. At traffic signals, policemen stop us, express their support and wish us well; at Raj Ghat, the policemen donated generously for the movement! So, will you take off from your work from 16 August? Will you descend on the streets with me? This year, the country will wait for 16th rather than 15th August. In solidarity,
thanks

Anna Hazare

How to wipe out Islamic terror by subramania swamy

check this article by subramanian swamy in the DNA newspaper on islamic terrorism http://dnai.in/a3Aw

Varma(Padmanabha swamy temple) in Hindustan times

The riches belong to nobody, certainly not to our family'



http://www.hindustantimes.com/ The-riches- belong-to- nobody-certainly -not-to-our- family/H1- Article1- 719270.aspx

Padma Rao Sudarji, Hindustan Times
July 09, 2011

The head of a former royal family renounced any personal claim to
billions of dollars' worth of ancient treasure discovered in a temple
in Thiruvanantharam, the kingdom his ancestors once ruled. Excerpts of
an interview with Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Verma, the former King
of Tranvancore by Padma Rao Sudarji.

PRS: What is your family's connection with the Padmanabhaswamy temple?

VARMA: We are the Cheras, one of the four erstwhile royal families of
South India and have a long and dynastic family tree. By 1750
Travancore had become rich and big. So my ancestor, the then king,
made a unique spiritual and historical contribution. He decided to
surrender all his riches to the temple - Padmanabhaswamy is also our
family deity. He said our family would look after that wealth, the
temple and the kingdom forever. But he did want the ego that comes
with possessing it. He was influenced by Emperor Ashoka's catharsis in
the killing fields of Kalinga. So he declared our family to be
Padmanabha's 'dasas', devotees. A servant can resign his job, but a
dasa can do so only when he dies.

PRS: You are one of the wealthiest families in India and yet, you live
in a spartan way, unlike many other ex-royals. Why?

VARMA: I have to go back a bit in time, to explain why. Everybody
thinks that we Indians first rose against British colonial rule in
1857. Wrong. In 1741, Travancore was the only Asian power to defeat
the Dutch when they arrived here. After the battle, all the Dutch
soldiers kneeled before my ancestors. One Dutchman, Benedictus
Eustachius, even joined our army. We called him the Great Kapitan.

Later, I learned that he was [US president] Franklin Roosevelt's
ancestor when the latter's grandson came to look at our historical
records.
Then in 1839, almost two decades before the mutiny, we rose against
the British.

Our punishment was severe. They disbanded our police and army of
50,000, transferred our capital to Kollam, dumped two British
regiments on us, and ordered us to pay for their upkeep. Thomas Munroe
named himself Diwan of Travancore. When our spirit still did not flag,
they brought in missionaries. But we did not get gobbled up by Western
thought. We travel abroad occasionally, but it has not affected or
changed our simple way of life. Why am I telling you this? So that you
get an idea of how much our life has revolved around our faith,
despite so many outside influences and kept us going.

PRS: How do you feel about what is happening around the temple right
now - its cellars being opened up, your donations being discussed
around the world, the criticism, the furore?

VARMA: Sorry, I cannot comment on what is happening there - the matter
is sub-judice. But this much I will say. I have no problem with the
inventory and additional security being provided by the state to the
temple. But please don't remove those objects from the temple. They
belong to nobody, certainly not to our family. They belong to god and
our law permits that. All these debates swirling around the riches is
unfortunate. That's all I can say - I have to listen to my doctor,
lawyer and auditor.

Our family has been donating objects to the temple for centuries. As
chief patron of the temple, I go there every day. If I miss a day, I
am fined Rs 166.35 - an old Travancore tradition.

PRS: But you cannot deny that such wealth could be put to better use
for the poor.

VARMA: We Indians are more educated now. But this reaction to
donations inside a temple is anything but progressive. We are slowly
losing our Indian identity. Money has become everything. But I am not
surprised. I would rather be philosophical than disillusioned because
I can't change the world.

PRS: Then there is the rationalist argument that this is blind faith.

VARMA: Please think of England's Henry VIII in the late 1500s. He had
two passions. Wives and money. So he pillaged churches. Finally, he
ran into a problem because he wanted a divorce from Catherine of
Aragon. The church refused, because she was a zealous Spanish
Catholic. His cardinal advised him to invent his own church. So he did
that - just to get a divorce. Is that rational?
It is rather difficult to explain our faith to the new world where
people have none anymore. When selfishness grows, everything you do
seems right, and everything others do seems wrong. It's all about what
do I get, not about what do I do. I like the memory of my trip to a
game reserve South Africa. After seeing many wild animals, I asked the
guide which was the most rapacious and fearsome. He showed me a
mirror.

PRS: What is your source of income? What does your family live off ?

VARMA: We have travel and hotel businesses. I am chairman of a former
British company that exports various items from Kerala - but no, not
pepper to Buckingham Palace, as reported. We also run seven trusts.
We spend R5-8 lakh a year on education, health and housing for the
poor. We pay good salaries. And the family itself contributes money
every month. No government has acknowledged our work but that is all
right. We do it because we want to do it.

PRS: Gold statues studded with rubies and diamonds, saphhires, gold
coins of the Napoleonic era and the East India Company. Is all that
true?

VARMA: I have never been inside those cellars. Our philosophy has
always been not to look at such objects and get tempted. But of course
I know what is inside them.

PRS: Are the younger members of your family angrier than you about the
heated public debate?

VARMA: I am the most hot-blooded in this family but on this matter, we
all feel the same. I was a soldier - a colonel for 15 years in the
Madras Regiment. I would like to ask those criticizing us for donating
these objects: why are they bothered about what someone else has done?
What are they doing in the name of faith themselves ? Why the hot
gossip over a donation to God?

PRS: At 90, you don't even use a walking stick. What is your daily routine ?

VARMA: We have all been brought up very strictly and frugally. My day
starts at 4 am with yoga. I only drink milk, I am a vegetarian and a
teetotaler. I read the Vedas everyday. I go the temple for a
ten-minute private audience with the deity every morning. After that,
I indulge in one of my hobbies - "media surgery." I read the
newspapers and clip articles over breakfast. I have a collection of
the past 30 years.

I will give those to the Trust because my children may not be
interested. People come to meet me, they invite me to inaugurate
functions. I speak extempore. I go from vertical to horizontal for
about 20 minutes in the afternoon. I am in bed by 945. I have always
slept well. Since there is nothing on my conscience, sleep comes
swiftly.

PRS: Are you now thinking of insuring those treasures, now that the
whole world is talking about them, or are they already insured ?

VARMA: (laughs) I am least worried that they will be stolen. If that
happens, then it was the Lord's will.

PRS: Among your ancestors were famous Carnatic musician Swati Thirunal
and painter Raja Ravi Varma. What are your passions?

VARMA: Those two ancestors gave music and art divinity and humanity
respectively. That continues. I love art. I once saw a piece of
exquisite china in Venice. It was a girl on a swing with the sand
looking worn just where her feet touched the ground each time. It cost
100 pounds, I could only afford 40, as foreign exchange was limited
those days. So I went away. The dealer called me back and gave it to
me. He said he could tell that I was not one of those who ordered 200
pieces of one kind, that I valued minute details.

PRS: Kerala has been a Communist bastion for more than 50 years. Don't
you find it peculiar that people here still flurry around you, they
respect you, they still call you Your Highness.

VARMA: Yes, that is quite amazing because I am a simple man, I don't
expect it at all. At religious gatherings in Haridwar where one of my
two gurus lives, I always sit in the last row and am always dressed
like this - mundu and bush-shirt. People who don't know me come
looking for the Raja of the South. When I raise my hand, they don't
believe me.

PRS: How wealthy is your family, compared to the other - and
internationally more famous - royals of Rajasthan and elsewhere?

VARMA: That is a mere technicality and has never been relevant to me.
But I'll tell you a story which will give you an idea. There used to
be a British gun salute for the princely states of India: 21, the
highest for the richest ruler, 11 for the poorest. When Tranvancore
refused to contribute soldiers to the British Army in World War I, our
slipped from 21 to 19.

PRS: Who is your heir?

VARMA: We have a matriarchal system of inheritance. I have a daughter
and a son but it is my sister's son who will be king after me. I
remember a European lady visiting us. I explained this complicated law
of succession to her. When she went back, she told her friends that
she had not understood a word, but only knew that whatever it was, it
was good for women. Kerala is slowly turning patriarchal again. That
is not good. Overall in our country, we treat women as second-class
citizens. When you look at a man, you are looking at a human being,
when you look at a woman, you are looking at a family.

PRS: What is the feeling you get, when you spend those ten minutes at
the Padmanabha shrine ? The daily communion between ruler and master,
as you put it ?

VARMA: Gooseflesh. Everything is surrendered. It is a great, elating
feeling. My hair stands on end with joy. Each and every time.

(Padma Rao Sundarji is South Asia bureau chief of Der Spiegel)

Art Of Living-Basic course(HOME GOING INSTRUCTIONS)

JAI GURU DEV
THE ART OF LIVING PART – 1

Teacher: Kumaraswamy Contact No. 07306205678

BOWING DOWN TECHNIQUE:
• East : Attachment & Entanglement
• South : Lust & Obsession
• West : Greed & Jealousy
• North : Anger & Arrogance
• East : Mother Earth / Sun God / All the Masters of this Universe

EXERCISES AND ASANAS:
• Warm up exercises
• Joint rotations: Neck,Shoulders,Elbow,Wrist,Waist,Hips,Knee joint, Ankles.
• Chest expansion
• Twisting of Spine with Ha sound
• Half moon Stretch
• Cat Stretch and Child Pose
• Butterfly and Cradle

SUDARSHAN KRIYA

1. THREE STAGE PRANAYAMA:
Posture: Vajrasan Breath: Ujjayi
Breathing Rhythm: Breath in 2, 3, 4
Hold 2, 3, 4
Breath out 2, 3,4,5,6
Hold 2
1st Stage- 8 times:
Thumb on the hip bone, finger in line with the navel, palms parallel to the ground.

2nd Stage -8 times:
Thumb at the highest point under the armpit, fingers in front of the chest. palms parallel to the ground.

3rd Stage - 6 times:
Palms on the back of the shoulder blade, elbows pointing the ceiling and biceps close to the ears.

Relax in between each stage.

2. BHASTRIKA:
Posture: Vajrasan Breath: Normal
3 Rounds of 20 times each. Relax between each round.

3. CHANT “OM” THREE TIMES.

4. SHORT SUDARSHAN KRIYA: Posture: SUKHASAN BREATH: NORMAL
• Long Cycle: 20 Times
• Medium Cycle: 40 Times
• Short Cycle: 40 Times
• Conclude with 8 to 10 long Cycle.
• Relax for 5 Minutes in Shavasan and Yoga Nidra. Turn to your right side and sit up and open the eyes

FOLLOW UP FOR LONG SUDARSHAN KRIYA:
• Every Sunday at Kuchipudi Art Academy : 6:30 AM - 8:00 AM
• Every Thursday at Kuchipudi Art Academy : 11:00 AM - 1:00PM
• Satsang at 405, ShettiPally Apts, Near Vijaya Bank, Street-6, Himayathnagar every Monday : 6Pm – 7pm.
• Note: Please Carry your Bed Sheets (3ft X 6ft) for Kriya Follow Up.